The team coached by Miguel Méndez will have the benefit of extra rest, as Australia have barely been able to prepare for this game after having no more than a day between it and their clash with Italy. Spain must use that advantage to secure a place in the semifinals, something they have achieved only three times in history.
Méndez's team head into the game after recording two wins in the group stage against Germany (83-53) and Japan (59-79), while their defeat by Mali (83-72) has been the only blemish of the tournament so far.
The Oceanic side finished second in its group after beating Puerto Rico (70-54) and Turkey (71-87), although its defeat by Belgium prevented it from finishing top after a clear 80-68 loss. Against Italy, Australia led by 20 points in the final quarter, but the Europeans fought back and had a chance at the death to force overtime. The Australians ultimately held on to win the game.
THE REST OF THE DRAW
On Spain's side of the draw, the potential semifinal opponent will come from the game between the United States and Hungary, with the Americans the strong favorites to reach the next stage.
The other two quarterfinal ties are China-France and Belgium-Germany. The first meeting between the Asian and French teams appears likely to go to France, who have established themselves as one of the favorites for the gold medal. Meanwhile, the game between Belgium and Germany is probably the most evenly matched quarterfinal of the round given the level of both teams. Belgium would normally be expected to reach the semifinals based on its performances, but Germany are the hosts, and that is far from an insignificant factor in tournaments of this caliber.
